Angurukaramulla Temple
A little way down Temple Road, not far from Negombo town lies the Angurukaramulla Temple (Bodhirajarama Maha Viharaya – මීගමුව බෝධිරාජාරාමය), well known for its Buddha statue standing 6 metres high and its odd and colourful interiors.
The massive seated Buddha and the gaping lion’s mouth of some weird creature from the entrance to the temple, a gigantic sculpture of a dragon at the base of the entrance as if to shield the temple from evil spirits.
Inside contains sculptural works and paintings and ancient murals on the life of Buddha and Jathaka stories, depicting the Buddha‘s journey to enlightenment and stories of Sri Lanka‘s former rulers from the Mahavamsa. The Shrine Room houses a series of ornate statues of gods attending the Buddha and colourfully painted deities on the ceiling, as well as graphic wall and ceiling murals of scenes from Hell.
Towards the side of the shrine room is another important part of the temple displaying stories from the “Mahavansa” of the queens and kings that once ruled Sri Lanka.
The Angurukaramulla Temple (Bodhirajarama Maha Viharaya – මීගමුව බෝධිරාජාරාමය) is an interesting place to wander through if you love historic architecture and if ancient heritage interest you.